2016 season F1 Testing

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

But as I said, your southern cousins have to get their fries from France

touché!

[Neppatsrev Xam]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

But as I said, your southern cousins have to get their fries from France

and "their" most famous food comes from Germany(the Hamburger)

[ASCII Man]

Fries are Belgian, god dammit!

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by Neppatsrev Xam

they did 257 laps in total, if you compare that to 675 laps by Mercedes and 490 laps by Toro Rosso they are a long way behind that.

That's a pretty pessimistic outlook for a new team, tbf... That's more than Lotus/HRT/Virgin combined in 2010, I believe!

If they have a reliable car, there's every chance they can nick a point in the first couple of races, which would mean the world to them. They'll be in a dogfight with Manor and McLaren.

Selby

[Neppatsrev Xam]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

That's a pretty pessimistic outlook for a new team, tbf... That's more than Lotus/HRT/Virgin combined in 2010, I believe!

If they have a reliable car, there's every chance they can nick a point in the first couple of races, which would mean the world to them. They'll be in a dogfight with Manor and McLaren.

Selby

we were talking about McLaren, not about Haas(who did 245 btw)

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by Neppatsrev Xam

we were talking about McLaren, not about Haas(who did 245 btw)

My apologies - completely misread!

Selby

[BertMk2]

Manor / Haas / McLaren / Sauber - it'll be a four way scrap at the back

With the second test coming up it'll be interesting to see how the new Honda engine gets on (they are still planning to use that aren't they?). If the new unit doesn't show a significant increase in power then what for Honda? Also what if it shows better power but just goes bang?

It'll be the first run for the new Sauber as well so they need to pile on the miles - how much carry over is there from last years car? What did they gain from last weeks testing?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Manor / Haas / McLaren / Sauber - it'll be a four way scrap at the back

With the second test coming up it'll be interesting to see how the new Honda engine gets on (they are still planning to use that aren't they?). If the new unit doesn't show a significant increase in power then what for Honda? Also what if it shows better power but just goes bang?

It'll be the first run for the new Sauber as well so they need to pile on the miles - how much carry over is there from last years car? What did they gain from last weeks testing?

I believe (and have read elsewhere in commentary during testing) that the deadline for 2016 PSU homologation was yesterday (28th of February). Also.. I believe that the teams are able to run a non-homologated PSU during the two testing sessions (late February and early March). The first was prior to the homologation deadline and the second (starting tomorrow) is after the deadline. Would anyone run a non-homologated PSU (development PSU) this coming week? If so, why?

Regarding Honda, I also heard that they would be using two different specs between the two different sessions. And that they had two different teams inside Honda working on the PSU. And that one of the specs was from the alternate team. Question is... what did Honda pick to homologate and is the different spec they will be using this week the one the homologated or not (to my comment directly above)?

I am sure there is more to the story and that maybe some of the "facts" that I have might be wrong. Does anyone have anything extra to add to this?

To your question above about what to do if you produce more power, but you are unreliable. Given the token system limitations, I would go with the more power and fix reliability (at that is allowed in the middle of the season)

Richard

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

To your question above about what to do if you produce more power, but you are unreliable. Given the token system limitations, I would go with the more power and fix reliability (at that is allowed in the middle of the season)

Richard

Which is why I was surprised that Renault didn't insist that at least one team or car ran with the totally upgraded PU last year, so that any reliability issues could be addressed in season. It seems a no-brainer to me!

[Mike Harte]

With my moral policeman's helmet on, I wonder why Mercedes are being so protective of their "darling" drivers, giving them only a half day each every day during testing? Yet they allow their top rapper to fly out to LA so that he could be seen at the Oscars with all the beautiful people, and then fly back in time for testing. Did they convince the FIA to run the testing a day late so that he could get back in time after all the parties that he attended?

[chillibowl]

total speculation on my part but during one of the interviews last week LH alluded to how tiring it was given the number of laps they have been putting in. maybe its just a conditioning thing or an attempt not to tire either driver out too much so they are splitting up days rather than alternating.

[Mike Harte]

Whilst Mercedes are quite happy to wrap their prima donna driver up in cotton wool, they allow him to spend over 24 hours flying to LA and back over a very few days just so that he can press the flesh, get his photos taken and indulge in some more partying.

Obviously I must be wrong if I believe that Mercedes pays him millions of dollars to drive their F1 cars.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Manor / Haas / McLaren / Sauber - it'll be a four way scrap at the back

With the second test coming up it'll be interesting to see how the new Honda engine gets on (they are still planning to use that aren't they?). If the new unit doesn't show a significant increase in power then what for Honda? Also what if it shows better power but just goes bang?

It'll be the first run for the new Sauber as well so they need to pile on the miles - how much carry over is there from last years car? What did they gain from last weeks testing?

I'd throw Renault into that mix as well.

[Mike Harte]

Mercedes has announced that, worrying for some of the other teams perhaps, that they won't be using either the super-soft or the ultra-soft tyres during this test as they are not the tyres that would normally be used at Barcelona, so it would be wasting valuable testing time.

That does seems to be throwing the gauntlet down to it's competitors!

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Whilst Mercedes are quite happy to wrap their prima donna driver up in cotton wool, they allow him to spend over 24 hours flying to LA and back over a very few days just so that he can press the flesh, get his photos taken and indulge in some more partying.

Obviously I must be wrong if I believe that Mercedes pays him millions of dollars to drive their F1 cars.

given that the Oscars is an extremely corporate driven event, how many Oscar related events do you think Mercedes-Benz sponsored? how many Merc's do you think are owned by guests attending the Oscars?

actually i would think that Merc probably encourage him to be there because selling cars and promoting the Merc brand is kind of the whole point of having a LH type driver on the payroll in the first place. heck they probably got him the tickets and paid for the plane he used to get there and back again.

maybe i should have looked at what kind of work he put in today before i said that though.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Whilst Mercedes are quite happy to wrap their prima donna driver up in cotton wool, they allow him to spend over 24 hours flying to LA and back over a very few days just so that he can press the flesh, get his photos taken and indulge in some more partying.

Obviously I must be wrong if I believe that Mercedes pays him millions of dollars to drive their F1 cars.

Unless I'm very mistaken, isn't he paid to test cars, win races, and win Championships? And how has he not delivered on that front?

So long as he does his job, it's his own business what he does in his private time. From the races I've been watching over the past two seasons, I'd say he's done a pretty fair job!

If he starts sacking off Grands Prix for photo shoots with Rihanna, then Mercedes have a problem.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Unless I'm very mistaken, isn't he paid to test cars, win races, and win Championships? And how has he not delivered on that front?

So long as he does his job, it's his own business what he does in his private time. From the races I've been watching over the past two seasons, I'd say he's done a pretty fair job!

If he starts sacking off Grands Prix for photo shoots with Rihanna, then Mercedes have a problem.

But the evidence is there. He wrote-off his very expensive road car late at night after partying (I do not accuse him of having consumed alcohol), and he actually arrived late for the Grand Prix that followed immediately after, missing the press conference that he was supposed to have been a part of.

And there is evidence that once he had wrapped up last year's championship that he overdid his celebrating over the following days (he even acknowledged the fact) - note days, not just a few hours. And I don't think that it is a coincidence that Rosberg overshadowed him in the last three races of the year.

[Akrapovic]

I don't like Lewis or his ridiculous lifestyle, but as long as he keeps winning titles, he will not have a problem retaining his job and putting demands on his employer. Like any employee, if you're valuable then the company will work to keep you and give in to to reasonable demands. If they can afford to give him a day off and they still win the title at the end of the year then it doesn't matter to them, and Lewis is more likely to stay.

[mikestow]

Yes I agree with that!!He is definitely turning into Mister Bling Rap Star,rather than a Professional Race Driver.I really hope Nico blows him off this year,and make a contest of it!!

[bella]

Originally Posted by mikestow

Mister Bling Rap Star,rather than a Professional Race Driver.

but why not both? what's wrong with both?

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I don't like Lewis or his ridiculous lifestyle, but as long as he keeps winning titles, he will not have a problem retaining his job and putting demands on his employer. Like any employee, if you're valuable then the company will work to keep you and give in to to reasonable demands. If they can afford to give him a day off and they still win the title at the end of the year then it doesn't matter to them, and Lewis is more likely to stay.

If Nico can hit the ground running and beat Lewis over first few races of the year, he will have a chance of beating him over the season. Mental fragility has always been LH's weak point and if Nico start winning, Lewis will end up competing against himself and seeing conspiracy everywhere in the team.

[S griffin]

I think Lewis has got other that mental fragility and is more complete. If he doesn't put up much of a fight this year, I'd put it down to him being satisfied with what's he's achieved in F1

[claude2cv]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I think Lewis has got other that mental fragility and is more complete. If he doesn't put up much of a fight this year, I'd put it down to him being satisfied with what's he's achieved in F1

And in that case he had better stop saying that Ayrton Senne is his hero and he models himself on his hero

Sean

[Greem]

OK, OK, we know people don't like Lewis and feel entitled to spout about that...

Yet we all hold James Hunt in extremely high regard.

Hunt wasn't even the first playboy driver, either.

What's the difference? In my opinion, almost all the people who profess a dislike of Hamilton's lifestyle are from a different era themselves - hell, I am, but I don't really care. He delivers on track. That's what matters.

[bella]

people are so extra about anyone who dares to be a bit different from them. apparently, you can only be ~a wildchild if you're wild in exactly the way that the opinion spouter looks up to.

if i was him i'd be doing exactly the same thing. you get offered opportunities to meet people you'd really like to meet, go places you'd like to go, and express yourself in the manner in which you want to. isn't that what we *all* want? it's just the semantics that differ.